German University in Cairo, GUC, Architecture and Urban Design, Dr. W. Nadim

Project Description:

Sustainability is sought worldwide to mitigate the rapid depletion of scarce resources; thus allow current and future generations to meet their own needs. Nevertheless, sustainable development is constantly being challenged by rapid unplanned and uncontrolled informal developments. While these are the people’s interventions to fulfil their basic needs; they however, bear serious social, economic, and environmental implications. Currently, two thirds of Greater Cairo’s 20 million inhabitants are claimed to live in informal areas. This figure is expected to dramatically increase, if no real integral measures and solutions are implemented.

The project's goal is to insert a pleasant living and working environment into existing and individual living environment by an intelligent, modular building system which is able to evolve and transform over time. As key element a compact, prefabricated unit will be developed, which houses the main technical units of a residential building and thus acts as the "nucleus" of a residential building. The cell-like unit is called the DPU (Decentralized Processing Unit) and includes three main subsystems (subsystem for energy production; subsystem mobility: docking station for innovative, electro-based micro-vehicles; subsystem for Life-Work Balance: Mini production unit or mini office for at home).The DPU-nucleus itself with its subsystems will be integrated into a building kit (A ² BS Affordable Adaptable Building System). The building kit will be designed so that it is compatible with the investigated site residential structures and in particular informal housing settlements. The building system will be able to grow or evolve over several generations within an existing informal settlement so that it step by step replaces the old unstructured environment by a more structured environment that provides better tools, technologies and living conditions for the residents. In a dialogue with the users – which shall be empowered to support the systems evolution over time - the main building material will be specified and it will be elaborated whether a supply of components from a central large company or decentralized by local workshops is targeted.